The Pat and Barb Verly family and their 5 children, in laws and grandkids along with many prayer warriors have been drawn together by John's cancer... sharing daily for 8 months started this blog- Family Soul Story - Our faith, family, farm and now our cancer journey called HEALING have colored and deepened our world. WE continue to share and depend on the support of our prayer warrior community, that has lowered us into the Lord's presence for His healing!
I just found this quote on facebook and it really speaks to me! I love to find my prayer time coming closer and closer. On work days my time on the road coming and going is when I find my prayer time, and it fills me with peace and happiness. I feel that I can lay all my burdens at His feet, and there are a few of those going on with my kids right now. Both pregnant daughters are needing some medical help with things they are facing and I am kind of anxious and frustrated at the same time! It is hard to just allow the Lord to be in control and trust. Am I being too lax and I should be forcefully taking things into my own hands? It is hard to wait as it seems like the sooner we can get them seen the sooner we can get things figured out! I am tired and that does not help things, so to bed I go with my prayers and striving to Trust!
John's birthday is a day of coming to a place of trying to find the path the Lord has put before him... a day of struggles and we trust! Jesus, we need you and we place all these burdens at your feet and Trust. Jesus, we trust in YOU. Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
Soon to wake John up - not to a candle light procession with beautiful children and singing as we did last night at his vigil, but I do have a couple candles in his lemon bread. He will be heading to work in Jackson and I to the NH in Minneota on this his 25th birthday! It is such a gift to just have him here for a few minutes to give a hug and a bless-bless! We were very surprised at his arrival 25 years ago, as we thought that we were having our 5th girl! How blessed were we, and after 3 losses including my sister to Lymphoma... we certainly felt very deeply and powerfully how precious is LIFE and we are forever blessed by the journey Our first son/life is a gift/prayer for Faith/brain cancer/healing!
Sharing as much as we have over these last 4 years - at this time then we were just a week out of his stem cells being replanted in him. His immunity was so low that he had to wear a mask each day when we went into the Mayo to have his levels checked and deal with any problem that might come up. He, once again showed his age and health, by being a "rock star" in the face of all that came to him. One thing that came out of this early week was a very rapid heart rate... as it turned out he had the catheter into his heart in too far, and it was irritating his heart. We said truthfully that he is tender hearted and sensitive! So True!!! His trials and the humility that came with this journey truly gave him the ability to care and be sensitive to the needs and hurts of others!
Today the Gospel is one related to the farm and healing - when he takes the legion of demons out of the man and places them in the herd of swine - 2,000 of them! A big farm too! It is another marvelous story of how our Lord cares and has endless Mercy on us as we ask to have our needs fulfilled as in John's half-hearted prayer for Faith!
Jesus, we love you and thank you for healing John - yes, physically but also deep inside he came to know and believe through his brain cancer/healing/finding your path! "When I call out to the Lord, he answers me from his holy mountain." Psalm 3 from mass today! Go forward with John and reveal to him the path you have laid out for him, as he joyfully and humbly goes forth sharing with all the healing he has received. Jesus, we trust in YOU. Amen and Hallelujah
Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
"When you face those times in life that are hard, repeat these words - 'Jesus, I trust in you.' " Bishop LeVoir when John's cancer came growing back through two chemos and we had to face whole brain radiation. So we continue to ask for healing from the chemo and radiation that was used to save his life. Jesus, we trust in you.
Our lives have been deeply influenced by Our Community of the Lamb since our daughter, Susan is now little Sister Hallel after taking her habit and changing her name and then two years later taking her first vows - both times John and I were in France in August 2009 and then in June of 2011 with Pat and his mother then. Then we are blessed with having the first American foundation in Kansas City and we have met Hallel there twice in the last year - in April for her first home visit in 3 years and then for the dedication of their newly built little Monastery on Pat's birthday - Sept 15 of last year! We have learned that for special occasions there is a procession, so tonight the kids were all excited in the kitchen as we lit up John's 25 candles Mary led the procession around the table as we sang first Happy Birthday and then God is Blessing you now! It sure makes it more fun when you have Ruth and Paul's 5 kids here!
John' helpers blowing out all those candles!
Luke sure is a good baby - he made it through 3 days of mommy working. Tomorrow she is home and grandma has to work at the NH. Lord, I need you to give me the strength! Jesus, we trust in YOU. Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
Turn off the lights, have some cute kids carry some yummy cheesecake with candles blazing, and sing sweetly a happy birthday to Uncle John that is a way to make you feel special and lucky to be having another birthday. With a year battling brain cancer 4 years back - each year is a precious gift! Much to celebrate with year 25 here! The night before a special feastday we call the vigil of that special day of celebration - this is the vigil of St Blaise and John Patrick Augustine birthday. We are so blessed to have the richness of the influence of the Community in our lives! We feel close to Hallel this night of remembrance!
Pat's birthday in Kansas City! The world needs lights!
John misses and loves his special little Sister Hallel! No better gift than to have her here with us in our special moments of Faith/Family/Farm!
Coming home from a couple days away to visit my parents and Nancy's family in the Cities, it was good to find that John had come home to be a part of the two retreats he is a part of... TEC and Emmaus! It is also a good reason to pull together a big family meal/super bowl party tonight on the eve of John's 25th birthday! With all that to do... I need to keep this short, but after sharing mass with the 4 generations in such a special way I just wanted to keep this short but from the heart! Ruth had to return to work this weekend, which adds up to 3 - 12 hour shifts at the hospital! Little Luke has managed OK, and he was so good at Church today. We all gathered in a big group to help out Paul as he was lecturing today too! Pat brought his mom to sit up with us in our two rows of Family! Pat held little sweet Luke in his big arms and worked his magic by putting his little squeaks of complaint into a nice peaceful nap in grandpa's big arms! How I love to see him with the little ones! He was always very encouraging that we go to Church as a family from the first week home! And he would always be in charge of holding the babies in his big strong loving arms. Only those times that the little one would not be consoled would I take them out to feed them. Luke was perfect today, and John was commenting that "when you are the youngest of 5 - you tend to be a good baby." I looked at my John, who was my youngest of 5 and remembered that he was a good baby too! Tomorrow will be his 25th birthday, so we plan on having a family celebration meal tonight!
After mass Luke missed his mommy, so dad took him over to the hospital and Ruth could take her morning break and "feed him up." So great for the little guy to have some time with his mommy. Tomorrow she can be back home with her baby boy!
Not only are we moving up John's birthday celebration by a few hours, but Fr Paul also moved up the blessing of throats - St Blaise feastday a day ahead too! Pat came over to bless his mother's throat and Mary too! I carried up Luke in my arms and he got his throat blessed too! I have been struggling with a cough for a week or so...I was very much praying for a healing!
Blessed with all the wonderful traditions in The Church! So many graces and blessings to surround us on our journey. Today is the Presentation of Christ in the Temple by Mary and Joseph! It is a good sign to families that they are responsible to pass on their faith to their children not only by worshiping together but also by passing on their values and faithlife within their domestic Church/family home! The parents are the most important teachers of their children and take the responsibility of raising LIGHTS very seriously!
There was a baptism today and Mary will have her first Communion this year following after Simon last year! All those steps and celebrations that make us a family of Faith in The Catholic Church!
They shared that the amazing Byzantine priest that gave the retreat said that there is no such thing as a convert - rather we rediscovered our roots in the True Church! I love it! The one lady there that was a Protestant - he showed her that she truly is a Catholic at heart by showing her how with special occasions in her life, like her husband's birthday she is following the directions of The Church - a special meal and gifts etc! It sounds like a wonderful day, and I am now going to say that we did not convert but rediscovered our roots in the True Church! Thanks, Father and Nancy and Bill!
My two sweeties... Augustine and Bernadette in a few days Nancy and Bill are finding out what the 3rd they are expecting this summer will be!
Rose led grandma on an adventure through the Church - a familiar and special place for a little 21 month old girl!
Thank you, Jesus, for sharing Faith as a family and always holding our time of worship as precious and never to be taken lightly! There was no question of whether Paul would get his 5 kids up, fed, dressed to honor our Lord, and to mass together this morning. Sharing this special meal - Simon now partakes and in a few months Mary will join us too! The younger ones watch their older siblings, parents, grandparents, and great-grandmother - as we worship and adore and take with great reverence and JOY Jesus in His Body and Blood! Bless dear John on his 25th year of LIFE! We have so much to celebrate with him as he has been spared to "not be silent" but to share his healing and finding of faith in his life. Jesus, we trust in YOU. Amen and Hallelujah
Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
"Since the children share in blood and flesh, Jesus likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who has power of death, this is, the devil, and free those who through fear of death have been subject to slavery all their life." Hebrews 2: 14-18 The second reading from mass today! Saved by the Blood of the spotless Lamb without blemish!
Little Berna looks to be at prayer in front of Our Lady, and it was such a great day dedicated to Our Lady as she is every Saturday! It was another prayerful trip back home and tomorrow we will share mass together with Pat's mom and Paul and his 5 kids! Ruth is working at the hospital, so we will all pull together to care for the kids as Paul is lecturing in the morning.
I will miss my two little grandkids up in Cities. Their mom and dad were enjoying a relaxing weekend with the kids. Jesus, we trust in YOU. Bless-bless, Barbara Luke
Basking in her LIGHT both Our Lady and little sweet golden girl, Bernadette Anna!
So much love and fun with my little sweet Bernadette today! She has been doing everything with grandma today,and my camera has been capturing it - up to 150 pictures mostly of her!
There were those special moments when we could get brother to join us for a snuggle! So warm on a cold bright day! How I have been anticipating this day when the Gospel would arrive at Mark 4: 35-41! I knew that it had to be coming as Mark 4 progressed day after day! Why so excited? This was the Gospel of Father's day 2009 - the day we got the news of John's brain cancer for the first time! We called France to tell Susan now Little Sister Hallel the shocking news - "Mom, do you remember the Gospel for today?" "Yes, it was Jesus calming the storm." "Well, this is the storm and Jesus is in control." How this gave us strength, peace and the ability to give it all to HIM and trust!
Another sweet moment of the two today! A reminder to me that we find a refuge in the storms of our lives with the little slice of heaven found in our domestic Church/family. It was so wondrous today to find, as usual, that Saturdays are devoted to Our Lady, Mary Mother of Heaven and earth! And this added reflection by St Pio - "Facing the Storm in the arms of our Mother!" Wow! This is totally how we faced the storm - the rosary beads were my lifeline that was thrown to me to keep me afloat as the huge waves washed over me again and again!
Berna loves every thing soft and this blanket on grandma's bed is super soft and makes a little girl super cute and snuggly! The kids have now had lunch,stories and are down for a nap. I can hear talking and singing above me, but as long as there isn't crying or a crash... all is well!
The sweet little helper while grandma gets ready for the day.
This Gospel is so important in all those storms of LIFE - "He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Quiet! Be still!' The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, 'Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have Faith?' They were filled with great awe and said to one another, 'Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?'" Mark 4
The dynamics here could not be more perfect for John in his half-hearted prayer for his Faith to come alive! John always had said that he didn't feel anything because he had never had anything bad happen to him and he had never needed to turn to Jesus and His Bride, The Church,for anything. Well, the storm called Brain cancer hit and that all changed - here is John's story in his words as it appeared in the Prairie Catholic a few months back;
It's rare to get the two together, but grandma has her ways!
Then to find this link between facing the storm in the arms of Our Lady - such a gift today. I am soon to be finding my quiet space with my rosary!
"Do not fear the storm that roars about you, because in proportion to the rigidity of winter, the spring will be more beautiful and rich with flowers, and the fruits more abundant. No matter what the tempter may say or do, God is working out in you his admirable purpose, which is your sanctification. Don't believe the murmurings and promptings of the enemy...
To be afraid of being lost while you are in the arms of divine goodness is stranger than fear on the part of a child in its mother's arms." St Padre Pio
Soft blanket wrestle in the February sunshine!
Speaking of a mother's arms - little Luke is left while mom has to work the weekend at the hospital - the first time they have been apart for any length of time. Thinking of them as they face this small storm in their peaceful world.
Jesus, we thank you for having the loving merciful arms of your Mother to protect us when we are facing the hard times in life. How she has given me the comfort I have needed over the years as the waves stirred up by the storms wash over me. I recall that you are in control of all my worries and suffering, and I long to give all my worries to YOU and have that Faith that we should have gained by now after all this time! Jesus, we trust in YOU. Amen and Hallelujah
Bless-bless, Barbara Luke with little sidekick, Bernadette
"My Jesus fill you with his holy love and grant you all those graces your beautiful soul desires, and I incessantly ask for you from our heavenly Father!...
When you are unable to take big steps on the path that leads to God, be content with the little steps, patiently waiting until you have the legs to run." St Padre Pio (1968)
How thrilling to be reminded that we have St Pio - a great saint of prayer praying for our needs and graces to face all the storms that come our way. I, too, take the time for prayer for all the needs of which I am made aware! Prayer is my communication of LOVE with my Lord through his Mother, Mary Most Holy!
Two precious lights that will welcome a new little LIFE/LIGHT with LOVE this summer!
